Susan Orlean, “Orchid Fever,” The New Yorker, 23 January 1995. John Laroche is a tall guy, skinny as a stick, pale-eyed, slouch-shouldered, and sharply handsome, in spite of the fact that he is missing all his front teeth. He has … Continue reading →

http://www.mrqe.com/movie_reviews/adaptation-m100024194 Roger Ebert: “Adaptation is a movie that leaves you breathless with curiosity, as it teases itself with the directions it might take. To watch the film is to be actively involved in the challenge of its creation.” Todd McCarthy: “One … Continue reading →

Q: Was there any point when you thought this isn’t really about the book, it’s about what goes on in Charlie Kaufman’s head when he’s trying to write a script? SUSAN ORLEAN: Oh no, I felt the complete opposite. I … Continue reading →

Why does Charles Kaufmann have such difficulty adapting The Orchid Thief? One reason he’s struggling is because he writes “original” pieces of work. Another reason Kaufmann is having a difficult time is because he himself is having a hard time … Continue reading →

In Adaptation, Charlie Kaufman tells McKee that the story is about disappointment. He is describing the story of The Orchid Theif but in reality he is describing the story of Adaptation. Charlie, described by himself as a fat, balding loser who has … Continue reading →

In Adaptation or Cinema as Digest Bazin warns that when considering an adaptation what matters is not faithfulness to form but rather “the equivalence in meaning of the forms” (20). Spike Jonze’s Adaptation. seems to provide a prime example of such an … Continue reading →

At the beginning of Adaptation Charlie Kaufman states to Tilda Swinton’s character that he wants “to let the movie exist rather than be artificially plot-driven.” Throughout the film Charlie struggles to detach himself from traditional Hollywood cliches in his writing and … Continue reading →

I suppose that the song is the theme song for film and literature? I have now watched this ( ahem ) movie three times. On the third try I did not fall asleep half way through. While I am not … Continue reading →

This was actually my second time seeing this film- the first was with my parents when it was in theatrical release, and as a 15 year old I’m not sure I got much out of it beyond “gee, watching Tilda … Continue reading →

As the final credits rolled down the screen, the first thing that popped in my head as a initial reaction was, “what?” . As it became clear that the adaptation of The Orchid Thief that Charlie was creating was going … Continue reading →

Adaptation is strange beast that (for the most part) successfully manages a dual identity. As the film’s story centers on an author translating a novel into a screenplay, the viewer is given a layered story that examines the creative process and … Continue reading →

We can all agree on one thing about this film, and that one thing is that it is truly an original, artistic film. Thisfilm was one I has to watch over a few times to try to follow the different … Continue reading →